Filipino animators in 'toon' with the times

MANILA, Philippines (CNN) -- "The Flintstones Christmas Carol",
an animated film nominated for the Emmys, takes place in
Bedrock but is made in the Philippines.

Major studios like Disney, Marvel, Warner Brothers and Hanna
Barbera have offices in the Philippines. In fact, industry
estimates say about 90 percent of American television
cartoons are now produced in Asia. Of that, more and more
are bringing their business to the Philippines.

Fil-Cartoons is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hanna Barbera, a
subsidiary of Turner Broadcasting, and employs nearly 650
people in Manila. Filipino artists and technicians draw,
paint and film up to 25,000 sketches, mainly by hand, for
every 30-minute episode.

"Because of the Western influence the Philippines has had for
so many decades, and when you're doing a cartoon that has a
gag that has Western humor, if your animators understand
that, they will be able to animate it that much better for
you. And they do understand Western humor and they do get
the gag," said Bill Dennis of Fil-Cartoons.

A more practical reason is the cost. A 30-minute cartoon
costs about $130,000 to produce in the Philippines, compared
to at least $500,000 in the United States. Philippine
studios tend to be cheaper than most of their Asian
competitors.

But U.S. companies aren't the only ones that benefit.
Filipino animators earn an average of $1,200 (U.S.) a
month in a country where the annual per capita income is only
$800.

In the past, development of the cartoon was done in the
States, but now, studios here have begun developing and
producing their own cartoons.

The initial result? "Swamp'n'Tad" - a seven-minute cartoon about
two frogs from another planet stranded on earth. It's slated
to be shown on the Turner Cartoon Network later this year

"We just had the opportunity to get it done in film and for
me that's the most exciting part. I get to see my own
creation on film," said "Swamp'n'Tad" director Achiu So. (
121K AIFF sound or
120K WAV sound)

Many believe there is no shortage of talent in the
Philippines and that enthusiasm may soon make Manila the
cartoon capital of the world.